adem
אדמ
'adem' is typically mispelled Adam. The word is used in a perplexing variety of ways with a variety of interpretations, but it is highly likely that these meanings can be reduced to a single root meaning and a couple of fairly obvious metaphors.
The Strong's concordance lists no less than 14 different Strongnumbers for the word, with only three minor spelling variations. Essentially, 1 word is miraculously transformed into 14 words with no etymological evidence. see strong_errors
Contextual clues do seem to indicate a small number of interpretations ranging from “red”, to “meat”, to “dirt”.
It is highly probable that these apparently different meanings actually stem from a single generalized meaning. The phrase “red meat” might adequately represent the contextual intent of all 936 instances of the word.
Genesis 36 speaks at length of the “tree (aleh) of kings of adem”, a geneology which also refers to “the land of adem”, possibly “the red land”.
| Strong Number | Spelling Variation | Ostensible Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| 120 | adem | |
| 121 | adem | |
| 122 | adem | red |
| 123 | adem | meat |
| 124 | adem | red gemstone |
| 125 | ademdem | red |
| 126 | ademeh | |
| 127 | ademeh | dirt (flesh?) |
| 128 | ademeh | |
| 129 | adami | |
| 130 | ademi | Edomite |
| 131 | ademim | (see Josh 15:7, Josh 18:17) |
| 132 | ademeni | red |
| 133 | ademeta |
'adom' appears to be some kind of variant of 'adem'. It is used only as a nickname for yeso (Esau). It might mean something to the effect of “red man” or might be some kind of pun. Genesis 25 and 27 appear to make extensive use of punning in two stories about this character.